1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing technique for extracting each element such as text, picture, or the like from image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a technique for extracting each element such as text, picture, or the like from image data, for example, such a technique that an input image is divided into a plurality of blocks and color substitution is performed on a block unit basis has been disclosed in the International Publication No. WO2006/066325.
When the image is divided into a plurality of blocks, there is a case where a portion which should inherently be the same region is divided by boundaries of the blocks and becomes micro regions after the division.
However, according to the technique disclosed in the International Publication No. WO2006/066325, there is a case where such micro regions are erroneously discriminated as noise and removed or a region which should inherently be the same region is divided.